UNGA ADOPTS SECOND COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS AND TWO

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001189 SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/EDA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN ECIN AORC SENV KPAL UNGA LE IS SUBJECT: UNGA ADOPTS SECOND COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS AND TWO OTHERS REF: A. USUN 1172 ¶B. USUN 1152 ¶1. Summary: On December 19, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) took final action on the remaining draft resolutions and decisions adopted by the Second Committee (Economic and Finance) - approving three resolutions by vote and adopting 31 resolutions and one decision by consensus. The UNGA also adopted two plenary resolutions by consensus. The General Assembly voted on fewer Second Committee resolutions this year than in past years, in large measure because many of this year's resolutions were procedural in nature. This year's Second Committee resolutions are notable for the large number of high-level meetings or events they call for from 2009-2013. End Summary. THREE SECOND COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS APPROVED BY VOTE -------------- -------------- ¶2. At its December 19 meeting to take action on all remaining Second Committee resolutions, the UNGA took a vote on resolution A/63/410, "Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab populations in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources," submitted under Agenda item 38. The resolution was adopted 164-8(U.S.)-5. ¶3. Under Agenda item 49, the UNGA approved the resolution contained in A/63/414, section III entitled, "Oil Slick on Lebanese Shores," by a vote of 165-7(U.S.)-2. ¶4. The UNGA also approved the resolution submitted under Agenda item 51(a) and contained in A/63/416/Add.1, section III entitled, "Towards a New International Economic Order," by a vote of 123-1(U.S.)-52. 31 SECOND COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY CONSENSUS -------------- -------------- ¶5. The UNGA adopted the following 31 resolutions, listed by Agenda item, by consensus. The resolutions contained no Program Budget Implications (PBIs). -- Agenda item 46: A/63/411 entitled, "Information and communication technologies for development." --Agenda item 47(a): A/63/412/Add.1, section I entitled, "International trade and development," and A/63/412/Add.1, section II entitled, "Report of the twelfth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development." --Agenda item 47(b): A/63/412/Add.2 entitled, "International financial system and development." --Agenda item 47(c): A/63/412/Add.3 entitled, "External debt and development: towards a durable solution to the debt problems of developing countries." --Agenda item 47(d): A/63/412/Add.4 entitled, "Commodities." --Agenda item 48: A/63/413(Part II) entitled, "Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus." --Agenda item 49: A/63/414, section I entitled, "International Year of Chemistry," and A/63/414, section II entitled, "Reliable and stable transit of energy and its role in ensuring sustainable development and international cooperation." --Agenda item 49(a): A/63/414/Add.1 entitled, "Implementation of Agenda 21, the Program for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development." --Agenda item 49(b): A/63/414/Add.2, section I entitled, "Follow-up to and implementation of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Program of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States," and A/63/414/Add.2, section II entitled, "Towards the sustainable development of the Caribbean Sea for present and future generations." --Agenda item 49(c): A/63/414/Add.3, section I entitled, "International cooperation to reduce the impact of the El Nino phenomenon," A/63/414/Add.3, section II entitled, "International Strategy for Disaster Reduction," and A/63/414/Add.3, section III entitled, "Natural disasters and vulnerability." --Agenda item 49(e): A/63/414/Add.5 entitled, "Implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa." --Agenda item 49(f): A/63/414/Add.6 entitled, "Convention on Biological Diversity." --Agenda item 49(g): A/63/414/Add.7 entitled, "Report of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Program on its tenth special session." --Agenda item 50: A/63/415 entitled, "Implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) and strengthening of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat)." --Agenda item 51(a): A/63/416/Add.1, section I entitled, "Role of the United Nations in promoting development in the context of globalization and interdependence," and A/63/416/Add.1, section II entitled, "Development cooperation with middle-income countries." --Agenda item 51(b): A/63/416/Add.2 entitled, "International migration and development." --Agenda item 51(d): A/63/416/Add.4 entitled, "Preventing and combating corrupt practices and transfer of assets of illicit origin and returning such assets, in particular to the countries of origin, consistent with the United Nations Convention against Corruption." --Agenda item 52(a): A/63/417/Add.1 entitled, "Implementation of the Brussels Program of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010." --Agenda item 52(b): A/63/417/Add.2 entitled, "Groups of countries in specific situations: specific actions related to the particular needs and problems of landlocked developing countries: outcome of the International Ministerial Conference of Landlocked and Transit Developing Countries and Donor Countries and International Financial and Development Institutions on Transit Transport Cooperation." --Agenda item 53(a): A/63/418/Add.1, section I entitled, "Role of microcredit and microfinance in the eradication of poverty," and A/63/418/Add.1, section II entitled, "Second United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2008-2017)." --Agenda item 53(b): A/63/418/Add.2 entitled, "Industrial development cooperation." --Agenda item 54: A/63/419, section I entitled, "Operational activities for development," and A/63/419, section II entitled, "High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation." --Agenda item 110: A/63/420 entitled, "Draft program of work of the Second Committee for the sixty-fourth session of the General Assembly." ¶6. The UNGA also adopted draft decision A/63/416/Add.5 on, "Report of the Secretary-General on the integration of the economies in transition into the world economy," under Agenda item 51(e). TWO PLENARY RESOLUTIONS ALSO ADOPTED BY CONSENSUS -------------- -------------- ¶7. Delegates also approved two plenary-generated resolutions by consensus: --Agenda item 44: A/63/L.29/Rev.1, entitled, "International Labor Organization Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization." --Agenda item 114(s): A/63/L.56 entitled, "Cooperation between the United Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum." The United States co-sponsored this resolution. SIX SECOND COMMITTEE RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED EARLIER -------------- --- ¶8. Earlier in its 63rd session, the UNGA adopted the following six Second Committee resolutions: -- Agenda item 48: A/63/413(Part I) and Corr.1, section I entitled, "Arrangements and organization of work of the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus (Doha, 29 November-2 December 2008)," A/63/413(Part I) and Corr.1, section II entitled, "Provisional rules of procedure for the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus (Doha, 29 November-2 December 2008), A/63/413(Part I) and Corr.1, section III entitled, "Provisional Agenda for the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus (Doha, 29 November-2 December 2008)," A/63/413(Part I) and Corr.1, section IV entitled, "Accreditation of intergovernmental organizations to the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus (Doha, 29 November-2 December 2008)," A/63/413(Part I) and Corr.1, section V entitled, "Accreditation of non-governmental organizations to the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus (Doha, 29 November-2 December 2008)." --Agenda item 49(d): A/63/414/Add.4 entitled, "Protection of global climate for present and future generations." COMMENT -------------- ¶9. Whereas six Second Committee resolutions were voted upon during last year's sixty-second General Assembly, only three were adopted by vote this session. The reduction is largely due to the procedural nature of this year's resolutions - a consequence, in part, of the Second Committee's actions being taken in parallel with negotiations over the Doha Financing for Development Conference Outcome Document. This year's Second Committee resolutions are notable for the large number of high-level meetings or events they call for, despite the best efforts of the United States and like-minded countries. By our estimates, the Second Committee resolutions call for approximately 10 such events between 2009-2013 on a range of topics. These would be in addition to the existing UN calendar of high-level conferences. Khalilzad